Avengers Meets a Brawler
by Goofy-Goober3D
Summary: Mondays suck. Steve knows that. What he didn't know was who exactly he would meet in an abandoned park. Who is this kid and what's his name? First chapter re-written. Please read A/N.
1. Mondays suck

**A/N PLEASE READ!  
**

**So I wrote this chapter a while back ago and I wasn't happy with how it turned out. I'm still not entirely happy with this re-write but hey, it's something. I'm not sure if I should continue this or not since I'm writing two other fics. If I get enough feedback on this one I'll consider it. If someone wants to adopt it... we'll talk. p.m me if you're interested. Enjoy this chapter and hopefully there will be updates soon. Either from me or another author :) **

* * *

Chapter 1- Mondays suck

_'Do you wanna hear the shortest horror story of mankind? Monday The end.' _Steve thought as he quickly made his way out of the Avengers tower. It was Tony who first told him that story and for once Steve had to agree with him. Some things just never change. He should know. Mondays meant that the fun and relaxing weekend was over and the tiring work/school days were back to take more innocent souls.

A bit over exaggerated, but true nonetheless.

The leader of the Avengers currently didn't have the need to worry about getting somewhere as his only job was to respond to action if earth was ever in peril, or if Director Fury needed someone to turn down Starks ego a bit.

It seemed as everyone had something to do. Except for him.

Tony and Bruce were down in their lab. It seemed as if that was all they did. Sans coming out for food or bathroom breaks. Though heard Tony mention installing a conjoined bathroom for the lab soon. Clint and Natasha were called in by S.H.I.E.L.D for reasons unknown to the rest of the Avengers, Thor was visiting a woman named Jane Foster in New Mexico, and Pepper was busy handling Stark company as the CEO.

So yes, recently his weekdays have been very lonely and boring for Steve, but he couldn't complain. He had something to live for, and for that Steve was happy.

Mornings in New York have always been busy. People of all ages, size, and color pushing against one another to get to where they needed to be. Kids waiting along the curb for the bus ride to school. Men and Women hailing for cabs. Shop owners fixing their windows in hopes that their products would appeal to the rushed public. And of course, there had to be at least that one random stranger people avoided for his/her suspicious look or behavior.

Shrugging his shoulders, Steve began his trek through the busy streets of New York with his head held high, carefully avoiding people as they brushed past him. The super soldier let a long-suffering sigh escape his lips as he rounded another corner, hoping to get away from the morning traffic. Soon enough, the busy streets full of lively people began to dwindle down until Steve was the only one out. Checking his watch, The man realized it's been over four hours since he left the tower.

Looking around, Steve noticed he walked into one of the more shadier parts in the city. The buildings around him were dirty apartments looked condemned and close to caving into themselves. And there was no people. Not a single soul around. Sighing, Steve slowed to a stop and looked around the desolated area and noticed a childrens play area just ahead of him. It was a small park featuring a rusted red jungle gym, marred with crude graffiti drawings and vulgar words, a faded blue, plastic roof and a dirtied, yellow, tube slide connected to its side. Steve noticed the ground surrounding the play set was sprinkled lightly of sand and he guessed that it once was also a sand box. There was a dysfunctional swing set to the left of the jungle gym and two broken rocking animal things on its other side. The was also a miniature soccer field enclosed with large trees behind the play area.

The play area was no doubt once a fun filled place only to be abandoned due to age and physical suffering.

Steve gave a wistful sigh. He remembered visiting small parks like this as a child with his mother. His mom would sit on one of the provided benches and watch over him with all the other parents watching over their children.

He paused. His mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart felt heavy. he shouldn't think about the past. It wouldn't do him or anyone any good.

Steve walked over to the only bench in the area and sat down heavily releasing another tired sigh. The man leaned back against the wooden seat and tilted his head back, allowing the sun's heat warm him from the autumn chills. The patriotic hero allowed the silence take over his thoughts, emptying his mind. Losing himself to his own imagination.

**CRACK**

Steve winced at the sudden noise. His imagination seemed to be on the loud side today.

**CRACK**

Ok, that definitely did not come from his head. Steve sat up quickly, searching for the mysterious noise. His unease growing as he stood up and glanced around but found nothing. The man cautiously walked several steps forward, the dirt field coming into his line of sight. He pulled his jacket tighter around his torso, out of habit and unease, unused to the sudden silence. Another crack ran through the air causing the tall blond to turn his head toward the direction of the noise.

A small boy, around five maybe six years of age if he had to guess, ran across the dirt field with a wooden baseball bat held tightly in his hands. The boys dark locks of hair was hidden underneath a red cap. He had on a slightly faded blue and yellow striped T-shirt and blue shorts along with an old pair of red sneakers. Steve frowned as he noticed the thinness of the boy and the clothing he wore. It was the middle of February in New York and the child was dressed in what looked to be summer clothing.

"Hey!" Steve shouted trying to catch the boy's attention as he ran towards the child.

Said child suddenly froze and quickly turned to the older man. His light blue eyes wide in fright as Steve got closer. The boy clutched his baseball bat tighter and stared at the blond as he grew closer to him. Steve immediately noticed that his presence had startled the child and gradually slowed his pace to a stop until he was about ten feet away from him.

"Hello." Steve said with a gentle smile, hoping to ease the boy and gain some trust. "What are you doing here. It's dangerous to be out alone by yourself." The child didn't act as if he heard Steve at all but he took several steps back from the blond and angled his body in a way where he could make a mad dash at a moments notice.

"My name is Steve." The blonde introduced himself as he gave a small wave. Steve's smile dropped a little when he received no answer. Not willing to give up just yet, Steve took a small step towards the boy, mentally shouting for joy when the boy didn't take a step back in retaliation.

"Do you have a name?" The blond asked with a teasing smile. The boy kept silent but gave a small nod.

"Will you tell me what it is?" Steve asked slowly.

The boy remained still, eventually shaking his head negatively.

"No? Well can you speak?" The blond asked with a smile tugging at his lips, slightly amused at the childish yet somewhat adorable 'game'. The child nodded to his question, tiny smile of his own tugging at his lips.

"Oh, I see how it is. How about I guess then?" Steve said with a grin. "Hmm. How about Joe."

The boy shook his head, unconsciously loosening his tight grip on his wooden baseball bat.

"No? Ok, how 'bout Jonathan? Max? Tyler? Kevin? Jose?" The blond asked rapidly. After seeing the negative shake of the head, Steve laughed and sat down on the ground across from the boy.

"I wouldn't suppose you name is Steve also?"

The small laugh that followed was considered a reward to Steve.

* * *

Somehow during the initial meeting, Steve found himself playing ball with the currently unnamed child all the while shouting out random names that the child could be named after.

"Franklin!?" Steve shouted as he ran after the ball.

"No!" A childish voice called out from across the field. The blond huffed in frustration and turned to stare at the child with his hands on his hips.

"Is that all you could say? No." Steve chastised.

"No!" The boy laughed as he dropped to the ground, causing a small cloud of dirt to rise from the ground. The blond man chuckled as he crouched in front of the child and looked him in the eye's.

"Ok! I give up! Will you please tell me your name?" Steve mocked begged while handing the small child his baseball.

"Nuh uh!" The boy replied childishly.

"Oh! That's a new one. I was afraid all you could say was 'No'."

"No!"

Steve rolled his eyes in exasperation before looking up at the setting sun. The man hadn't realized the time in all the excitement. "Hmm. It's getting late, kiddo. We should be heading home." Steve said with a small smile.

The boy frowned, gently tracing the red seems on his baseball with his finger.

Steve's smile diminished. Growing a bit more concerned, he kneeled down until he was at eye level with his small companion. "No? Your parents will get worried if you don't get home now. Plus, it's getting dark out." The blond said.

The currently unnamed child remained silent, head bowed. He refused to meet Steves eyes. The blond male sighed softly, reaching over to push the child's chin up in order to meet his eyes.

"How about I walk you home. How does that sound." The child considered it for a moment before shrugging his consent. "Great!" Steve said happily as he stood from the ground."Lead the way, Kid." The brunette nodded and grabbed the offered items and walked towards a nearby tree to grab a pasty yellow backpack that Steve never noticed was there until that moment. Shrugging on the bag, the boy turned and ran towards Steve. He firmly grasped onto the older males hand before tugging him towards the abandoned jungle gym.

Steve laughed, amused with the childish actions. He followed after the boy, allowing the child to beat him in their impromptu race. Steve gave a small laugh at the carefree feeling of acting like a child. His wariness from earlier that day vanished. His shoulders free of all his burdens. Though his moment of elation paused. The little boy he spent his whole evening with was sitting in the middle of the jungle gym. His arms clutching his knees to his chest as he watched Steve observe him on the circular platform.

Steve was confused. Why were they still in the park? Was the boy hurt? Steve's eyes widened in realization. His heart felt as if it were about to broke in two. He knew he had to ask. He only hoped his fear was proved wrong. "...Is this where you live?" He asked, dreading the answer.

The boy gave small happy smile while nodding his little head furiously. The little boy, looking about seven years of age, giggled at Steve's expression. One of heartbreak and sadness, though the child thought it was another one of the man's silly expressions. Not one aimed at his unfortunate living conditions.

"Home!"

"Home?" Steve whispered to himself then looked down at the boy who had barely reached his waist in height. "You can't live here."

"No?" The young brunette asked curiously as he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"No. You can't. Where are your parents?" The blond questioned the small boy. Said boy shrugged helplessly as he propped his baseball bat against the railing of the play set.

"You don't know? Well, you can't live on your own. You're just a little kid." The blond said as he tried to hide his anger and frustration. The child only smiled and shook his head as he puffed out his chest.

"Big!" The boy said as he gestured to himself with his thumb. Calming himself, the older male smiled tiredly at the child and nodded.

"Yes, you are a big boy, aren't you."

"Yes!" The child giggled in amusement as he jumped out the play set and onto the dirt field. "Home!"

Steve clenched his eyes tightly as he felt his heart constrict. No child should have to live like this. Now seeing the child's situation, Steve couldn't help but let his mind go haywire. Where's his parents? When was the last time he's eaten? Does he go to school? What does he do when it gets cold? So many things circling around his mind and he had absolutely no idea on what to do.

"...Hey, Capsicle!" A loud voice called bringing Steve out of his mental hysteria and causing the unnamed boy to jump in fright.

"Over here, Tony." Steve responded in exasperation after a moment of hesitation, slowly walking around the jungle gym so he was in plain view, unknowingly putting himself between Tony and the child.

"There you are! Man, pep's been worried about you. She came down to the lab raging at me saying she couldn't find you and that it was somehow my fault! She won't let us eat dinner without you, so let's go!" Tony rambled off as he began pulling at Steve's arm in an attempt to pull him along.

"How did you find me?" Steve asked unmoving from his spot.

Tony sighed as he dug through his pockets and pulling out his stark phone. "Little something called GPS. Heard of it? Probably not since it's pretty new, gramps."

Steve rolled his eyes and glanced down out the boy behind him. The tall blond male thought for a moment before stepping aside slowly. Tony was about to pull him towards his car before freezing.

"Whoa. Please tell me he's alive and not a ghost."

"Tony this is- wait. What? Why would he be a ghost?" Steve asked totally baffled by the comment.

"Well we are in an abandoned playground at the edge of the forest and theres this kid, who's really pale by the way, just pops up out of no where. You know, it's like those cliché scary movies bird brain likes to watch." Tony said not once looking away from the small boy.

Steve rolled his eyes and crouched down in front of the child."This idiot is my... Friend, Tony. Please don't mind him, he's always like this."

Tony scowled at the jab but let it go as he held his hand out to the kid."As this guy already informed you, I'm Tony Stark. Yes, I know, best day of your life."

The child in question just stared back at Tony and then at Steve. Seeing Steve's nod of encouragement, the boy raised his hand and shook Tony's larger one.

"Hi."

"Not much of a talker, huh. Oh well, let's get going spangles." Tony said as he began to head back to his car.

"Wait! Tony!" Steve said as he quickly ran after the man, momentarily pausing to tell the boy to stay put. The small boy stood watching in amusement as the two older men began to speak quickly to one another. It was obvious to the boy that they were talking about him but he made no move into finding out just what they were talking about. His new friend, Steve was really nice. So if Tony knows Steve, then he must be nice as well. Maybe next time, Tony would like to play baseball with them. Or he could show them his favorite tricks he learned on his Yo-Yo.

Looking back at the older men, the boy couldn't help but feel that they made such an odd pair of friends. One loud and outgoing, while the other was quiet and gentle. They looked pretty funny now though. Tony and Steve seemed to like talking with their hands, like a lot of people he's seen do before. But it just seemed funnier with those two.

"...Fine. But you have to promise to feed, wash, and walk him. I can't wait to see what Fury says tomorrow. Finally it's not my fault."

Tony said as he looked over at the kid who was staring at them in amusement.

"So what's the kids name."

Steve blushed in embarrassment and shrugged.

"You don't know." Tony deadpanned. "Are you kidding me."

"No." Steve, smile tugging at his lips when he realized how closely he sounded like his little friend. "I mean, he won't tell me."

Tony nodded with a fake thoughtful look. "Right. That's normal."

Steve rolled his eyes and walked toward the child with a calm smile. "James?"

"No!"

Steve laughed before holding out his hand for the child to take. "How would you like to have some dinner with some of our friends back home?"

The boy thought for a moment before shrugging.

"Ok."

* * *

Tony didn't know what to think. He was no good with kids. Pepper has told him that on many occasions. Hell, he didn't need her to tell him that! He knew he was terrible with kids. Not being able to have a childhood of his own does that to a guy. So having Steve ask him out of nowhere to help some homeless kid was a tough decision. Not because Tony didn't like kids, no. To be honest, Tony didn't really know what he thought of kids. Some part of him felt that he would corrupt the kid or that they would somehow get hurt or worse, break his stuff. Kids were so much more fragile than adults, and looking at the kid here, he looked more so than most kids.

"Ron?"

Tony fired as he went down the list of popular baby names on his phone.

"No!"

"Fred?"

"Nope!"

The child said, popping the 'P' more than needed.

"Harry?"

Tony tried once more but then groaning when he saw the kid shake his head.

"Boy names are out. Maybe your mother wanted a girl when you were born."

Tony teased as he tossed his phone behind him.

"No!"

The child said as he blew a raspberry at the man causing Steve to chuckle at their antics. "Really? You do sorta look like a Natalie." Tony chuckled as he stopped at a red light and looked at the boy through the rear view mirror.

The boy shrugged and nodded. "Yes."

Tony and Steve froze and looked back at the boy In shock.

"Really? I got it?" Tony said with an excited grin.

"No!" The child said as he broke down into an uncontrollable giggling fit.

Tony rolled his eyes and pretended to pout. "Dang. You got us there, kid."

Steve laughed loudly and turned to look at the boy.

"Does your name by chance start with an 'N'?"

"Yes!"The boy grinned in delight, seeing that his friend is starting to catch on.

"Do you only speak in one word sentences?" Tony asked as he pulled the car into the tower's garage.

"No." The boy said with a grin. Though his happiness evaporated almost immediately when the car stopped moving and Steve walked over to help him remove his seat-belt.

"Really? I think I've only heard you say maybe 5 different words. Do you even speak English?"

Tony asked, walking towards the elevator and pushing a button. The boy stayed quiet, a bit of fear and uncertainty pooling in his eyes. He absentmindedly reached out to clutch Steve's hand in his own looking for any sort of reassurance. Steve looked down at their conjoined hands. The boy's fingers tiny in compared to his own. Steve gave a gentle squeeze, leaning down to the child's height.

"You're going to be ok." Steve whispered to the boy with a small smile.

The boy looked up at Steve for a long moment before nodding. "Ok."

"Tony! Did you find Steve?" A voice shouted as the three walked out of the elevator.

A tall woman walked towards the trio before freezing in her spot. "Oh. Hello."

She said as she looked at the small boy standing in between two of earths mightiest heros.

"Hi." The boy mumbled, body tense and head angled downwards.

"My name is Virginia Potts but you can call me Pepper. Everyone does." The woman said with a gentle smile. "How about you."

The room seemed to freeze as both men present turned their heads to look at the boy with bated breaths.

The boy looked up at the women with a giggle before he shook his head, dark curls of hair that weren't hidden beneath his baseball cap tickling his cheeks.

"No?" Pepper questioned ignoring the two groans in favor of studying the small boy in front of her.

"He won't tell us his name." Tony grumbled as he moved over to the table and sat down at the head seat. "Now let's eat I'm starved! Where's Bruce?"

"I'm right here... Who's that?" Another man said as he walked into the room.

"That's Nick." Tony said with a shrug.

"No." The boy said with a secretive grin.

Bruce watched the boy with a small frown pulling on his lips. Steve noticing this quickly changes the subject and moves everyone towards the table.

"Wait!" Pepper said halting everyone in their movements to eat.

"What!? What do you mean wait!? I'm hungry, women!" Tony cried but calmed after seeing Pepper's glare.

"Steve and..."

"Nate?"

"No."

"...They need to get cleaned up. You two are covered in dirt." Pepper said once the interruption was over. Steve turned to see the boy standing next to him still clutching his hand and noticed that they were literally caked with dirt.

"Common let's go get cleaned up."Steve said and led the child into one of the spare rooms and into a bathroom. The blond man let the child's hand go and turned the faucet from the bathtub on, letting the water run until it was warm. Steve looked over the child and motioned to the tub.

"Go ahead and get cleaned up. If you need me, I'll be right outside, ok?"

The child nodded and slipped his backpack off and set it in the corner of the room. The older male took that as a sign that he should leave and walked out the room while closing the door behind him.

"Steve?" Someone called from behind him. Turning around quickly, the blond male saw Bruce leaning against the door frame of the unused bedroom. "Tony told me to give you these." The man said as he handed Steve some articles of clothing.

"Thanks." Steve murmured as he took the clothes with a sigh.

"Tony told us what's going on." Bruce said giving the taller male a long look.

"...He was living in an old jungle gym, Bruce. I couldn't just leave him there." Steve confessed looking older than he really was.

"No need to explain. I understand." Bruce said with a small smile.

The blond looked at his friend for a moment before a small smile broke out.

"He's pretty cute, no?"

Bruce laughed loudly and nodded in agreement. "How old is he?"

The blond male groaned and threw his head back with a loud groan. "I've been so occupied trying to learn his name I never asked about his age." The scientist laughed and patted the taller males shoulder sympathetically. Bruce turned to leave the room but then stopped suddenly.

"Maybe I could give the kid a medical check up. Just in case." Steve nodded and turned to the bathroom when he heard a small knock. "I leave you to it then."

Steve turned to the bathroom door just as it opened revealing the child he grew so fond of come out with a large towel draped over him like a blanket. The blond laughed and handed the boy some of Tony's clothes, consisting of an old band t-shirt and some sweat pants.

"Go ahead and put these on ok." Steve said with a grin.

The boy nodded and headed back into the restroom, new clothes in hand. Several moments later, the boy walked back out with a sour look on his face. The ACDC T-shirt hung from one shoulder and the sweatpants had to be held up with one hand. Steve couldn't help but chuckle as he helped the boy with his clothes.

"There all done." Steve said. "Now just wait here and give me five minutes to clean myself up, ok?" The boy grinned and gave the blond a thumbs up as he plopped himself down on the bed.

Almost half an hour later, all five people were seated at the table eating. It was a loud affair since Tony seemed to have a kick out of coming up with random names for the child, causing the little boy to giggle loudly.

"So... Nathan? No? Ok. How old are you?" Bruce asked with a smile.

The boy thought for a moment before a large proud grin appeared on his face.

"Seven." He said holding up six small fingers.

"Wow! Seven years old!" Pepper gushed with a smile of her own as she picked up his half eaten plate and placed it in the sink along with the others to be washed.

"Thank you, Pepper." The child beamed as she did so causing the other men at the table to blanch in surprise.

"That's three words!" Tony shouted in mock surprise. "What a chatter box we got here."

The little boy smiled, eyes drooping slightly in exhaustion.

Pepper giggled at the adorable child as she playfully slapped Tony on his shoulder. "You should take note, Tony. You know what they say less is more," She said with a laugh though stopped when she noticed the little boy look up at her, immediately alert, when she spoke.

"...less is more," She repeated, confused when she was met with the same reaction. Steve must have noticed too, well at least according to his thoughtful face.

"Less? Ness? Is your name Ness?" Steve asked, expecting a negative in response. What he didn't expect was a soft giggle and a happy nod at his question.

"Yes!" The child cried happily, sleepiness momentarily forgotten. Steve grinned, feeling accomplished with his discovery. He eyed 'Ness', smiling softly when he noticed the child trying to battle his exhaustion. With a chuckle, Steve stood from his seat and scooped the dozing child with no effort. Ness offered no resistance as he finally subcombed to sleep. With a nod towards the others, Steve headed towards the elevator, his floor in mind. It was a tiring day for everyone and it seemed even more so for the tower's little guest.


	2. I'm sorry

Chapter 2- I'm sorry

Steve dropped down onto the expensive couch with a sigh. He had stayed with Ness for a few minutes to make certain that the little boy was fast asleep before making his way back to the adults in the other room. The super soldier couldn't help but worry over how easy it was to gain the child's trust. How easy it could have been for someone who didn't have Ness's best interest in mind. Ness is such a sweet, innocent child. Why anyone would leave the poor boy to fend for himself was beyond Steve's comprehension.

"Stark," Steve finally called. "Can you figure out who Ness is and where his family is at?"

"Easy," Tony scoffed from his lazy position on the couch. "Jarvis! Use facial recognition and scan for anything relating to the kid."

"Right away, sir." The A.I responded. After a few moments of silence, Jarvis's robotic voice rang through the room, gaining everyone present attentions. "Japanese citizen: Ornett, Ness. Eastern. Ness Ornett. Western. Parents Ninten Ornett and Ana Ornett. One younger sibling. Tracy Ornett. Migrated from Eagleland, Japan to New York in early 2011. Reasons unknown. Attends SSBB Primary school. There are several reports from neighbors and teacher concerning Ness, none of which have been investigated thoroughly by police. Grades range from average to above average. Attendance in class is supherb. Teacher reports state that the child behaves well in class and treats his peers with high respect. Though he has a short attention span and has problems focusing on one subject for long periods of time unless he finds the subject enjoyable. Suspected Predominantly inattentive."

"Thank you, Jarvis." Pepper said when she noticed the A.I were about to ramble off more information than what was needed.

"Ah ha! Ninten and Ana Ornett works at a pharmacy nearby. Ninten has his own asthma prescription where they works." Tony said with a grin, reading the man files. After a few moments of reading to himself, the billionaires grin slips off his face. "... The pharmacy was one of the buildings that was destroyed during the attack."

"...It could have been their day off there." Bruce tried.

"Their hours were from eight a.m to four p.m," Tony read to them before looking up with a tinge of discomfort shining through his eyes. "Unless they closed their store early, they would have been caught in the battle."

"...What about Tracy? Where would she be at that time?" Pepper asked, tears in her eyes.

"Tracy Ornett. Three years old," Tony read. "With the salary the Ornett's earned, there's no way they'd be able to afford daycare. They might have left her with a neighbor or… taken her with them to the pharmacy."

"Stop." Steve commanded. "We can't just assume that Ness's family were casualties in the battle. Is there any kind of surveillance video in the store."

Tony stayed quiet as he typed away furiously at the holographic keyboard in front of him. With a frustrated sigh, the genius pulled up a choppy video on the holographic screen. The video was set at three forty-six p.m; around the time the first of the chituary appeared. Behind the counter was a rather pretty woman with blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a pink dress and white apron over it. She seemed to be sorting through empty pill bottles when a male figure walked over and gave the blond woman a light kiss on the cheek. The man looked like an older version of Ness, sans the blue eyes. The man wore a teasing grin as he quickly dodged the playful swat the woman aimed for the back of his head. His polished shoes glinting when the light hit them as he ran to the other side of the counter. Sadly the video did not provide audio as the couple bantered for a few minutes before falling into soft chuckles. The couple seemed to become distracted for a moment, causing the viewers to hold their breaths in anticipation. The man grinned from ear to ear as he kneeled to the floor and opened his arms just as a small pink figure collided into him. The figure turned out to be a little blond haired girl. Her hair was cut short, with a small red bow keeping her hair out of her face. She wore a pair of cute, pink overall shorts over a lighter pink T-shirt. Her tiny feet, covered with a pair of pink Mary Janes, kicked wildly as her father scooped her up and tickled her tummy. The woman behind the counter laughed behind her hand at the adorable scene, fond of her small family.

Pepper made no movement to hide the tears that were falling from her face as the trio in the video froze when the store began quake. The clock at the corner of the screen read three forty-eight. The invasion was just about to begin. Tony pulled his sobbing girlfriend to his chest as the man in the video quickly pulled the woman from behind the counter. Bruce clenched his fists in fury as The man adjusted the small child into his arms with one hand and tightly held his wife's hand with his free arm. Steve let out a shaky breath as he watched the small family flee into the stores back room, moments before the video began to spaz out and shut off.

The room was quiet after they watched the invasion in the point of view of the small family. No one dared to break the somber silence as they mourned for Ness's family.

"Is there any record of the retrieval of their bodies?" Bruce finally asked.

"...The reports conclude that they died from inhalation of falling debris and smoke. They found Nintens body covering the other two. They were pronounced dead at four thirteen p.m." Tony read, voice withholding any emotion.

"Where was Ness during the invasion?" Pepper said, her eyes red and tear tracks on her cheeks.

"School. They let out at three fifteen. He had baseball practice after that. Kid probably walked home but when he didn't find anyone at home, he must have walked to the park cap found him at."

"Why didn't the school report him missing? The invasion happened almost three months ago!" Bruce cried in outraged.

"A lot of families moved out of New york after the battle. They must have assumed Ness's family was one of them."

"Why didn't Ness go find help?"

"Took me hours to get him to say one word. For him to go out and willingly ask for help is unprobable." Steve said with a distressed sigh. " Look. We obviously don't have all the answers now. All we can do now is keep Ness comfortable and find any close relatives of his to take him in. We have to tell him of his family soon. Though I have a feeling Ness may already know."

* * *

Waking up, Ness yawned and stretched his thin arms above his head. The little boy sluggishly pulled away the soft blankets and crawled to edge of the bed where he slid off. His bare toes curled slightly into the fluffy carpet. The overly large T-shirt that was lent to him looked like a nightgown. The ends dragged behind him slightly and the neck slid over his bare shoulder slightly. With a small hand, Ness gripped a section of the T-shirt, holding it so it wouldn't trip him as he walked.

Ness shuffled towards the door, letting go of his shirt momentarily to grip the doorknob with both hands since it was too big to turn with only one hand. Pulling the door open, Ness walked out the room and clenched the T-shirt in his hand once more. The hallway, and what Ness could remember from yesterday, floor was tile. only the bedrooms had carpeted floors. The little boy shivered from the sudden cold sensation on his feet. With determination, Ness scampered towards the door where Steve said he slept in.

Not bothering with knocking, Ness pushed open the slightly ajar door and ran inside. Stumbling over to the bed where a giant lump lay, The blue eyed child pulled himself on top of the bed and jumped towards Steve.

Steve smiled slightly. He was aroused from his sleep when he heard light footfalls on the carpeted floor. His mind sluggishly reminded him of the towers guest. Steve steadied his breathing and feigned sleep. The super soldier felt the little boy jump several times on the firm bed, every hop closer to the child's intended target. He heard Ness giggle softly, ready for his final attack. With a shout, the child threw himself onto the super soldier; eliciting a chuckle from the blonde. With playful growl, Steve lifted the slight boy into the air, earning a few giggles for the airborne child.

"Good morning, Ness." Steve greeted the red faced boy.

"Hi!" Ness replied.

"Hungry?" Steve asked, climbing out of bed while holding the child in one arm. Ness nodded, leaning his head into the crook of Steves neck. "Alright then. It's Bruce's morning to cook breakfast. He makes the best waffles." Steve continued talking to Ness as they made their way down stairs. Pepper greeted them as the pair stepped out of the elevator.

"Good morning, Steve." Pepper said before her attention shifted fully to the little boy. "And good morning to you, Ness."

"Hi." Ness replied shyly, rubbing his right eye with a closed fist. Ness attention shifted from the strawberry blonde to the bag in her hands. "What's that?" He asked curiously.

Pepper smiled warmly at the boy as she opened the bag to show him. "I ran to the store to get you some clothes. I'm wasn't sure what you would like so I only got you one pair of clothes. We could go and pick out some more together, ok?" Ness nodded with a smile. "You can go change after breakfast."

Steve nodded to Pepper in thanks and carried Ness over to the kitchen where Bruce was stacking waffles onto a plate and Tony was nursing a cup of coffee. Bruce turned to the trio as they walked in and handed Steve a plate with a nod towards the child in his arms.

"Try to eat as much as you can. Don't force yourself either." Bruce said to the child. Steve set him down on the seat he sat in the day before and placed the plate of warm waffles in front of him.

"Thank you." Ness said as he gripped the fork in his hand. Tony, Steve, Pepper, and Bruce took their seats soon after, enjoying their breakfast with the occasional chatter. Once the table was cleared of all the plates, Tony gave Steve a significant glance. this was probably the best time to talk to Ness.

"Ness, buddy." Steve started. "Why were you at the park by yourself yesterday?"

"Waiting." Ness replied with a shrug.

"For your parents?" Tony cut in, ignoring the elbow jab from Pepper and a kick in the chin from Bruce.

"Mhm. And Tracy." Ness said, smile fading when he was answered with silence.

"Ness… Remember the alien invasion a couple months ago?" Steve prompted, earning a nod. "Your parents and sister were in the pharmacy when it happened… They- they hid in the back room and the building fell." Steve paused, taking in Ness's teary eyes. The boy already knew but he still hoped that it wasn't true. "I'm so sorry, Ness. They didn't make it."

Ness shook his head in denial, tears falling freely. "No." He whimpered, eyes pleading at Steve to admit it as a lie. He wanted to go home. He missed his mom's hugs. His dad's funny faces. He even missed Tracy's dumb dolls. He swore to himself that the next time Tracy asked to play dollies with him, he would join her, no hesitation.

"I'm sorry, Ness." Steve repeated scooping up the now sobbing boy into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

**PLEASE READ**

**I decided to continue this story but I may not be able to update it as frequently as you may like. I have two other stories that I am writing along with this one. both of which are crossover as well. Love crossovers. If your interested, the stories are:**

**Tale of a New Kind- Harry Potter/Kingdom Hearts crossover**

_**Harry thought that once the war was was over, he would have an easy life. He never thought having an easy life would be this boring. What Harry would give just to have another adventure. And boy does he find one! Though... He does have to admit he never expected this. Follow Harry as he finds new friends, visits new places, and he might even discover a new love interest.**_

**My Brother!- Ouran High School Host Club/ Rise of the Guardians crossover (oc centered) **

_**What if Haruhi Had a Step-brother? How would he change the story? And who's his new invisible friend? **_

**Read them if your interested. Ignore them if your not XP**

**Thanks for reading!**


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